Kingship and the Gods: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern Religion of Society and Nature

Henri Frankfort
with a New Preface by Samuel Noah Kramer

Frankfort's central thesis in Kingship and the Gods is that the Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations differed fundamentally and profoundly despite their superficial resemblances, and that kingship, an institution which the ancients themselves regarded as the very foundation of all civilized life, was conceived of quite differently in the two lands.

Kingship and the Gods is divided into two books and seven parts: Book I, in four parts, is devoted to Egypt; Book II, in three parts, is devoted to Mesopotamia. Preceding Book I is a brief Introduction that focuses on the contrasting views of kingship in the two societies as expressed in their art.

Kingship and the Gods: A Study of Ancient Near Eastern Religion of Society and Nature